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The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual award that a footballer can receive. It's an honour bestowed upon the best football player over a year. It has been won by many of the game's greatest names such as Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario.
Over the last 13 years, however, the award has been dominated by the two defining superstars of the 21st century – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The duo have won the award eleven times amongst themselves.
Messi is currently the record-holder for the most number of Ballon d'Or awards, having won it six times.
Now as we approach the end of the Messi-Ronaldo era, here are five stars who can potentially win the Ballon d'Or in the coming years. The list includes both established and emerging stars of the game.
#5 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
It's not a stretch to say that Robert Lewandowski should have won the Ballon d'Or last year, and that the ceremony being cancelled was a travesty. The Polish hitman, simply put, was the best player in the world in 2020.
Lewandowski finished the season with 47 goals in 55 appearances, and led Bayern Munich to the treble. Not winning the Ballon d'Or hasn't gone down well with the Pole, as he has come back this season with a vengeance.
Lewandowski has already plundered 23 goals in 18 appearances this season and is on course to outdo last season's performance.
With Bayern Munich dominating the Bundesliga and Champions League as usual, Robert Lewandowski should be the favourite to lift this year's Ballon d'Or.
#4 Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes)
Eduardo Camavinga had a breakthrough season last year and is quickly becoming one of the hottest properties in Europe. The Frenchman has already established himself as one of football's top prospects.
A move away from Rennes looks to be on the horizon for Camavinga, with Real Madrid interested in the 18-year old's signature. A move to Madrid would give Camavinga a chance to emulate his idol Zinedine Zidane and win the Ballon d'Or as well.
The French prodigy is built like Paul Pogba and has the technical prowess to be as good as Zidane. At only 18-years old, Camavinga is ready to dominate midfields for the next 15 years and will soon be a household name in world football.
#3 Neymar (PSG)
It's almost criminal that Neymar still hasn't won the Ballon d'Or. It's been widely accepted that the Brazilian superstar has been the third best player in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the last seven years.
Neymar's time with PSG has been blighted by injuries, which would lead one to think that the reason why the forward hasn't won the award yet is because he doesn't play enough games during a season.
When he does play though, Neymar is easily the best player on the pitch, against most of the teams in world football.
Neymar's window for winning a Ballon d'Or seems to be shutting, and it would be a shame if the Brazilian doesn't lift the trophy atleast once in his already illustrious career.
#2 Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Erling Braut Haaland burst onto the scene last season with his spectacular performances for RB Salzburg in the Champions League. His goal-scoring exploits earned him a move to Borussia Dortmund in January and the Norwegian has only gone from strength-to-strength since then.
Haaland is a lethal finisher and looks like Bundesliga's heir to Robert Lewandowski. The 20-year old is sure to have a say in the Golden Boot race in next decade. The striker has the ability and the technical nous to find the back of the net in any situation.
Haaland will possibly be in the mix to win the Ballon d'Or on multiple occasions in his career, if he continues in the same vein.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Kylian Mbappe tops this list. The French superstar is probably the most nailed-on footballer to win the Ballon d'Or in the coming years. In fact, it wouldn't be shocking to see Mbappe lift the award in the next couple of years.
Mbappe has been tearing apart Ligue 1 since he moved to PSG and he's just been getting better with every season. The forward is currently PSG's fourth highest goal-scorer of all time. He has already won everything he can with the club, apart from the elusive Champions League title.
It's astonishing to think that Mbappe is still only 22-year-old. A move to Real Madrid looks set in stone for the striker, where he can finally cement his legacy as one of the greatest players to play the game.
